canada hockey: Marner’s 3-on-3 OT goal lifts Canada into Olympic semifinals
Canada survived a roller-coaster quarterfinal on Day 12 of the Winter Olympics, escaping Czechia in overtime after Mitch Marner finished a frantic 3-on-3 session to push the favored roster into the semifinals. The victory came after Canada twice surrendered leads, lost captain Sidney Crosby to an injury, and relied on late heroics from Nick Suzuki to force extra time.
Late surge, overtime finish
The deciding moment arrived 1: 22 into the 3-on-3 overtime when Marner buried the winner, sparking celebration after a game defined by momentum swings. Canada had trailed twice in regulation, but Nick Suzuki’s equalizer with 3: 27 remaining sent the contest to sudden death. Macklin Celebrini and Nathan MacKinnon also found the back of the net for Canada, while Lukas Sedlak, David Pastrnak and Ondrej Palat produced the goals for Czechia.
Suzuki’s late regulation play was notable given his uneven tournament to that point. He had appeared to struggle adapting to a wing role, and observers questioned whether lineup changes would be needed once other players returned from injury. With the game on the line, Suzuki opted to pursue possession rather than take an easier change; his forechecking and puck retrieval led to the blue-line play that resulted in his crucial tip-in goal.
Injuries, goaltending and defensive adjustments
Canada’s night was complicated when Sidney Crosby left the game after a hit from Radko Gudas in the second period and did not return. The loss of Crosby placed additional pressure on line rotations and matchups, forcing deeper contributions from the supporting cast.
On the blue line, coaches continued a cautious approach with a defenseman who had been held out while recovering from an earlier injury. The staff employed all seven available defensemen in a rotation that saw various pairings—Travis Sanheim skated in the spot alongside Colton Parayko at times, and Parayko also shifted to pair with Shea Theodore in portions of the game.
In net, Jordan Binnington faced scrutiny entering the tournament after a difficult club season, but he produced several timely saves that kept Canada in striking distance. One pivotal moment came late in regulation when Binnington denied Martin Nečas on a breakaway with just over a minute to play, a stop that directly preserved Canada’s chance to force overtime.
What this means next and lingering questions
With the win, Canada advances to the Olympic semifinals and will face another top contender bolstered by confidence from a hard-fought victory. The match reinforced depth across Canada’s forward group—Celebrini, MacKinnon and Marner each made critical contributions—but also exposed vulnerabilities, particularly around physical play and defensive consistency when missing top personnel.
Questions remain about lineup stability and health heading into the next round. Crosby’s status will be watched closely, and coaching decisions about defensive pairings may continue to rotate as staff balance rest, matchup advantages and caution around recovering players. Goaltending also remains a storyline; Binnington’s performance offered reassurance, but he will need more of the same pressure-handling stops in the games to come.
Beyond the win, the tournament continued to produce late drama elsewhere: another quarterfinal went to overtime with a late rally and breakaway finish deciding that contest, underscoring how tightly contested the field has become as the event reaches its final stages.
For now, Canada moves on. The team’s next test will demand both the offensive firepower that produced the comeback and the defensive steadiness that can withstand physical challenges and potential injuries in the knockout rounds.
